OWN GOALS – Timely Footy Links For Your Reading Pleasure

If you blow into the Ocarina, then you will find a link to the past. However, no matter how hard you blow into your respective Kindle, PC, iPad, or cell phone, you are stuck here in the present with me. Don’t get too depressed now, because I’ve put together a neat list of link-worthy footy topics for your consumption. Bon apetit.

Not all summers are pleasant. In 1998, a young and optimistic US team went to France with hopes of advancing out of the group stages. Instead, they lost all three games, scored a single goal, and came in dead last. Some blamed luck, some blamed the coach, and a decade would pass before the truth about a curious omission would come to light. Re-live the tears. (In Bed With Maradona)

As promised, I wrote about three great new sports websites & ePublications: Grantland, the Blizzard, and the Classical. Check out my quirky curriculum to help you evaluate which site fits your personal tastes best! (The Footy Blog)

Here is Part Two of my series for FoxSoccer on Hispanics & US Soccer. It’s basically a critique of tokenism/affirmative action and also a pretty please to not expect my ethnicity to turn the US program into Spain anytime soon. (Fox Soccer)

This will probably blow your mind, but I am not the only person who writes about soccer. In fact, one of my favorite articles of the year was written by another person on another site. The premise? That Arsene Wenger could easily solve Arsenal’s rightback problem with a Golden Corral franchise. (The Short Fuse)

This is probably the saddest soccer story of the last month. South Africa tied their qualifying game and celebrated, assuming they had qualified for the African Cup of Nations. However, they were mistaken. The tie-breaker was head-to-head games, not goal difference. D’oh! (Washington Post)

In terms of podcastery, after much anticipation, Jason Davis and Jared DuBois finally debuted the Best Soccer Show. It is part of the North American Soccer Network, will be on twice a week, and is definitely worth a listen, if not an iTunes subscription. Find out more here: (Youtube) Or follow on twitter (Best Soccer Show)

Also, in the audio consumption department, if you are not listening regularly to the Total Soccer Show podcast, then it’s your own fault. And if you have never heard of the “Wikipedia Game”, then it’s time to re-consider that condo you live in on Mars. Seriously, imagine Jeopardy but soccer-specific and therefore you have a chance of winning. (Total Soccer Show)

Also, the players at UNC-Asheville are pretty good at soccer. However, this video shows they are even better at Angry Birds. I just salivate thinking about Ronaldinho attempting to play this real-life-soccer version. (Youtube)

Lastly, this was a great week here at the site. We published three posts on Monday-Wednesday-Thursday, just like we always do. Care to re-live the greatness of this experience? Of course you do. (Futfanatico)